Bottom Line:
The attention system can be divided into alerting, orienting, and executive control networks.The efficiency and independence of attention networks have been widely tested with the attention network test (ANT) and its revised versions.Moreover, the low reliability of ANSs can not meet the demands of theoretical and empirical investigations.

Affiliation: Key laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China.

ABSTRACTThe attention system can be divided into alerting, orienting, and executive control networks. The efficiency and independence of attention networks have been widely tested with the attention network test (ANT) and its revised versions. However, many studies have failed to find effects of attention network scores (ANSs) and inter-network relationships (INRs). Moreover, the low reliability of ANSs can not meet the demands of theoretical and empirical investigations. Two methodological factors (the inter-trial influence in the event-related design and the inter-network interference in orthogonal contrast) may be responsible for the unreliability of ANT. In this study, we combined the mixed design and non-orthogonal method to explore ANSs and directional INRs. With a small number of trials, we obtained reliable and independent ANSs (split-half reliability of alerting: 0.684; orienting: 0.588; and executive control: 0.616), suggesting an individual and specific attention system. Furthermore, mutual inhibition was observed when two networks were operated simultaneously, indicating a differentiated but integrated attention system. Overall, the reliable and individual specific ANSs and mutually inhibited INRs provide novel insight into the understanding of the developmental, physiological and pathological mechanisms of attention networks, and can benefit future experimental and clinical investigations of attention using ANT.

Mentions:
As shown in Table 3, both main effects and interactions for three pairs of network were extremely significant, indicating strong coordination between networks when the cognitive system operates more than one network. Visualized inter-network interactions could be seen in Fig. 2. Post hoc analysis was not performed because the directional relationship analysis had described INRs in detail.

Mentions:
As shown in Table 3, both main effects and interactions for three pairs of network were extremely significant, indicating strong coordination between networks when the cognitive system operates more than one network. Visualized inter-network interactions could be seen in Fig. 2. Post hoc analysis was not performed because the directional relationship analysis had described INRs in detail.

Bottom Line:
The attention system can be divided into alerting, orienting, and executive control networks.The efficiency and independence of attention networks have been widely tested with the attention network test (ANT) and its revised versions.Moreover, the low reliability of ANSs can not meet the demands of theoretical and empirical investigations.

Affiliation:
Key laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China.

ABSTRACTThe attention system can be divided into alerting, orienting, and executive control networks. The efficiency and independence of attention networks have been widely tested with the attention network test (ANT) and its revised versions. However, many studies have failed to find effects of attention network scores (ANSs) and inter-network relationships (INRs). Moreover, the low reliability of ANSs can not meet the demands of theoretical and empirical investigations. Two methodological factors (the inter-trial influence in the event-related design and the inter-network interference in orthogonal contrast) may be responsible for the unreliability of ANT. In this study, we combined the mixed design and non-orthogonal method to explore ANSs and directional INRs. With a small number of trials, we obtained reliable and independent ANSs (split-half reliability of alerting: 0.684; orienting: 0.588; and executive control: 0.616), suggesting an individual and specific attention system. Furthermore, mutual inhibition was observed when two networks were operated simultaneously, indicating a differentiated but integrated attention system. Overall, the reliable and individual specific ANSs and mutually inhibited INRs provide novel insight into the understanding of the developmental, physiological and pathological mechanisms of attention networks, and can benefit future experimental and clinical investigations of attention using ANT.